More To This World
by Persephonie Muses
Summary: Pearl and Steven meet a new resident of Beach City who shows Pearl that there's more to the Earth and Humans than what she originally thought- even after 5,000 years of protecting it. Someone who even makes Pearl question her pessimistic views.
1. Chapter 1

**RRC and ENJOY!**

 **Elemental-** A person who has the abilities to manipulate the elements. In this case, the four main elements. (You're basically the Avatar).

 **IMPORTANT!**

 **This was originally an XReader but do to the fact that Xreaders are not allowed**

 **on this site, I have replaced the Reader Details like (y/n), (e/c), etc with my own OC's information**

 **in order to keep the story on this site. If you wish to read the story in it's original**

 **Reader-insert style, please feel free to Google Search: PearlxReader: More To This World.**

 **The website will be DeviantArt and this is**

 **where the story will continue to be updated.**

 **Sorry for the immense inconvenience and**

 **RRC and ENJOY**

 **Meeting**

I sipped my drink as I continued to peer out onto the beach, watching the waves crash easily against the rocks. I had only just moved to Beach City, so the view of the ocean was still breathtaking, especially now that the sun was beginning to set. Grabbing my drink, I stood up about to take my leave when I backed into someone knocking the both of us off balance.

"Oh, geez," I said, grabbing the taller woman's elbow as to help steady her. My eyes immediately landed on her forehead where there seemed to be a large oval-looking stone embedded. _A pearl?_ I thought before my brown eyes caught the woman's pale blues staring down at me with surprise. She cleared her throat and straightened herself. I couldn't help but notice the small almost nonexistent tinge of teal on her cheeks. _Teal?..._ I thought. _That's an odd color for a blush..._

"That's quite al-"

"Okay, Pearl. I'm ready." a small, curly haired boy said, coming to stand next to the almost unnaturally pale woman. He looked up from the bag he was holding and smiled brightly at me. "Oh, Hi! My name is Steven. Steven Quartz Universe." He looked towards the woman next to him. "- and this is Pearl." he introduced giving her a friendly half hug. "I've never seen you around before. Are you visiting?" Steven asked with wide and genuinely curious eyes. I smiled down at the small boy, deciding to think about how Pearl also happened to have a pearl on her forehead later.

"Oh,umm- that's because I just moved here from Empire City." I explained to him. "My name's Demi," I said with another smile, before guiding my eyes over Pearl's tall, lithe form. I wanted to say something to her, but I couldn't quite place why. I found myself not able to come up with anything and about to bid them goodbye, Steven spoke.

"Demi, where do you live?" he asked. I eyed him curiously, cocking my head to the side. Why did he want to know my address? I was about to question this, when he spoke again, as if reading my confused features. "The Gems and I throw Beach Parties a lot." He told me.

"Uhh-" I furrowed my brows. That didn't necessarily clear up why he needed my address.

"The parties' invitations are sent out via mail." Pearl explained sensing my confusion.

"Oh," I said simply before writing down my house address on a small piece of paper and handing it to the eager boy. I already new he was going to be the cause of a lot of happiness in the near future. He just seemed so positive and kind.

"Steven," Pearl began with a tone, I can only describe, as motherly. "It's getting late, we should get going." she stated simply in a way that left no room for argument. Steven looked like he was about to object, but seemed to have changed his mind.

"Okay," he sighed, turning back towards me, another smile on his face. "It was nice to meet you, Demi!" he said sweetly. I smiled down at him and ruffled his hair.

"It was nice to meet you too, Steven." I replied before guiding my attention over to Pearl who kept a friendly smile on her face- though I couldn't tell if it was forced or not. I reached my hand out to her.

"It was very nice to meet you too, Pearl." I said with a charming smile. Pearl looked at me silently, before shifting her eyes to my hand. She cleared her throat and my smile turned into a friendly smirk upon noticing the now apparent blush that spread across her features as she took my hand in hers.

"A pleasure meeting you as well," she replied- her eyes not quite meeting mine. I noticed how soft her slender hand rested in mine. Wondering if she simply had a soft handshake I decided to put a little pressure on it which she returned easily. Finally, our eyes met and she seemed surprised that I had been looking at her. I cocked my brow and looked at out conjoined hands. "Oh! Um..sorry." she mumbled retracting her hand from mine, and looking out towards the ocean waves.

"S'okay," I smiled. "Well it is getting late, so I guess I'll be going too." I turned to look over my shoulder before realizing that I didn't exactly remember how to get home. _Well, this is embarrassing._ I nibbled on my bottom lip, before turning back towards Steven and Pearl who looked at me oddly.

"What's the matter, Demi?"

"Umm..." I rubbed my neck awkwardly, peering over at the ocean before taking a deep breath. "Do you guys know how exactly I get to Wilmington Lane from here?" I asked cringing at my inability to remember the directions of my new house. Steven's face twisted in thought.

"Hmm...Pearl?" he asked, looking up at the tall woman. She stared back down at the small boy before looking back up at me.

"Oh, well...yes. I do-"

"Great! You can show Demi then!" he exclaimed. He seemed almost happier than me to have found a solution to my problem. Pearl crossed her arms over her chest.

"Steven, you should be getting home-"

"I can walk home by myself!" He countered. Seeing the conflicting emotions on Pearl's face, I was quick to respond.

"Oh! No, that's okay. You could just point me to the general direction," I said waving my hands behind me- gesturing to where the houses were. "I really wouldn't want to put you out or anything." I said in earnest. Pearl seemed to have been contemplating the situation until she caught sight of Steven's large puppy dog eyes. She turned to me slightly.

"No no, Demi. Steven's right." she told me.

"It's okay. I understand." I replied. She arched an eyebrow at me in confusion. "Oh! Oh, I mean, 'thank you'!" I recovered sloppily. I hadn't expected her to agree. "That's really kind of you," I could feel a small blush beginning to cover my sepia skin. Pearl's expression turned into a rather bemused one.

We walked along side each other quietly. Every once in a while, in my peripheral vision, I could see Pearl turn her head to observe me.

"Hey, Pearl?"

"Yes?" she inquired, her nose tipped down towards me as we continued to walk. The moon had already made its way into the sky and its light reflected off of Pearl's...pearl? I had already forgot what I wanted to ask her, but I couldn't stop the words from coming out of my mouth.

"Your pearl is beautiful." I told her. She seemed surprised by the compliment and another oddly colored blush made its way onto her features. _Wow...She's beautiful..._

"Why uh," she cleared her throat as she straightened herself, "Thank you,"

"Do...you mind if I ask you something? Something personal?"

"No, I don't mind. What is it?"

"Your pearl...is it the reason you're named Pearl?" I questioned. This thought process reminded me of what Steven had said earlier. "And who are _The Gems_? Are the two topics related somehow?" I asked realizing that I was probably over-stepping the 'I-just-met-you' boundaries, but I was genuinely interested.

"Demi, I'm not sure if I should..." she paused looking at me. "Well I guess I could. Since you are a resident of Beach City." she reasoned. "It would be pertinent to your safety as well..." she mumbled the last part to herself as she gently tapped her chin. I raised my brow at her. _Safety?_ She clapped her hands as if finally making a decision. "Yes, well you see. I am part of the Crystal Gems. An ancient gem rebellion who's sole focus is to protect the earth and all living creatures on it from Homeworld Gems." she explained proudly, her head tilted to the sky- a smile on her face.

"Homeworld Gems? Wait, what do you mean by gems? Like, sapphires and aquamarines?" I questioned and I'm pretty sure the confusion was evident on my face. She turned to me, a smile still lingering on her lips.

"Yes and no. We are non-organic life forms, alien to your planet. Our _gems,"_ she said, gesturing to her pearl. "-are the center of our beings. At our core, we are, well, just gems," she laughed. I loved her laugh. I smiled at her before shaking my head.

"And I moved here to get away from the crazy stuff," I joked.

"Ah, well I must admit, everything abnormal that occurs in Beach City is our fault." she shrugged.

"I guess I can see why." I scoffed, shaking my head again. I looked around and began to notice my surroundings becoming more recognizable.

"Maybe I disclosed too much information to you. I understand if you have worries now-"

"Nah, it's cool." I said dismissively. Thanks for telling me, because you really didn't have to."

"Usually we avoid telling humans due to their self-incapacitating xenophobic nature. I'm surprised you accept something like this so easily." she said just as we turned down my street. I could see my small blue house from and was slightly disappointed as we reached my doorstep quicker than I wanted.

"Well, not all humans are as xenophobic as you think." I said winking at her as I stepped onto my patio. She blushed and coughed lightly into her hand.

"Why, yes of course not."

"Plus, something like _this_ isn't too many steps off from my usual crazy." She looked at me oddly.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say I've had my fair share of _abnormalities_ in the past couple of months. You'd be surprised." I told her with a smirk, causing her teal blush to deepen. She cocked her brow at me and scoffed.

"I highly doubt anything abnormal to a human could possibly surprise me." she paused a smug look on her face before her smile dropped and was replaced with a slightly apologetic one. "No offense, Demi. I just- it's improbable." she finished. Her eyes dropping down to her ballet flats.

"We'll see." I smiled challengingly before taking a deep breath. "Well, Pearl," I paused waiting until her pale blue eyes met mine. "I just wanted to say thanks for walking me all the way home. Without you, I would still be wondering around aimlessly trying to find my way."

"Oh, o-of course. It was no problem." she told me with a small smile as she began to turn away slightly, ready to be on her way.

"Goodnight Demi," she paused almost unsure if she wanted to continue. She clasped her hands nervously behind her back as she simply smiled.

"Goodnight, Pearl." I said softly, tilting my head to the side when I noticed her blush again. _She sure does blush a lot...  
_ "I hope we can become good friends in the future." She seemed surprised by this statement, and the blush on her cheeks didn't fade.

"As do I."

I watched her leave before discarding by now well-forgotten drink in the trash. Living in Beach City was sure going to be interesting.

 **Hopefully you guys enjoyed this! :)** **Anywhoo, Good or No Good so far?**

 **demiflower14**


	2. Chapter 2

**Really quickly- A thanks to the supporters of this story!**

 **RRC and ENJOY**

It was only a couple days after meeting Steven and Pearl when I was approached by the small brunette boy again. I had been walking to the Big Donut when he ran up to me, a large smile on his face. I was surprised at first, but his smile was so contagious, I found myself smiling back at him.

"Afternoon, Demi!" he exclaimed happily as he walked into the small bakery alongside me.

"Hey, Steven! What's going on?" I returned as I walked up to the counter.

"One sec- Hi, Lars! Hi, Sadie!" He greeted the two people working at the register. Well, the blonde girl- Sadie- was working, Lars was just on his phone.

"Oh Hi, Steven," Sadie replied with a small smile, Lars just looked up with a grumble and returned to tapping away at his phone. Sadie turned towards me before speaking. "Hey! I've seen you around Beach City. Are you new?" Just as I was about to respond, Steven spoke up quickly answering the question and even officially introduced Sadie and me (and Lars but he ignored Steven). "Well what can I get ya guys?" the shorter woman asked as she began to put on small plastic gloves. I tapped my chin and hummed as I stared down the donuts inside the casing.

"Oh, I'm not getting anything today, Sadie," Steven said dismissively. I stopped my donut search to look down at him, a small frown on my face.

"You're not getting anything?" I asked. "I can buy you something, if you don't have enough money," I offered. I was slightly taken back when it seemed that Steven's pupils had turned into stars.

"Really!?" He gasped, his hands on his face. I chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, it's no problem." and with that, I bought myself a cinammon-apple and Steven ordered a chocolate milkshake. After saying 'bye' to Sadie, Steven and I walked outside to enjoy our little snacks.

"So Steven, why were you at the Big Donut if you weren't gonna buy anything?" I asked taking a bite of the sweet goodness.

"I wasn't planning on coming here," he answered taking a sip of his milkshake. "I was actually on my way to find you- to give you this." he continued by pulling out a small light blue piece of decorative paper from his front pocket. I cocked my head to the side as I took it from his offering hands. It was an invitation. "Remember those beach parties I told you about? The Gems and I are throwing one tomorrow night, and I thought you might wanna come?" he asked as he continued to slurp his milkshake rather quickly. When I hesitated to answer, he spoke again. "It'll be really fun, I promise," he told me, a pleading look in his eyes. Without even thinking, I found myself asking-

"Is Pearl going to be there?" Steven seemed slightly surprised by this question, but a smile quickly grew on his face.

"Yeah! Pearl likes to help set-up everything! All the gems are going to be there- I'll introduce you to Garnet and Amethyst! Oh! And my dad. He's really cool! Actually, everybody in Beach City is going to be there! I'll introduce you to everyone- all 15 residents!" The young boy's smiled beamed at me brightly, and I couldn't help but say 'yes'. I did want to meet my fellow Beach City residents, and I wanted to meet the other Crystal Gems- but really, I wanted to see Pearl again.

 **Beach Party**

I walked towards the gathering of people at the beach. It took me a while to be able to pick out an outfit I wanted. I didn't know how casual or formal it was going to be. I just settled on a pair of shorts and a light tank top. I wasn't really planning on swimming. Just as I stepped into the general vicinity of the party, I felt a tiny pair of arms wrap around me, making me let out a small yelp.

"Attack hug!" Steven exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. I laughed and hugged him back. "Thank you for coming!" he said as he began to lead me further into the party.

"Of course! Like I could say no to a "Steven Universe Beach Party of Awesomeness." I smiled, quoting the party's name. He laughed and pulled me over to a rather tall and intimidating figure and a shorter purple one.

"Garnet! Amethyst! This is Demi," he introduced excitedly. The shorter of the two threw up a peace sign.

"Yo! You're the one Pearl was going on about a couple nights ago?" the purple one asked, though it sounded more like a statement. I could feel a small blush creeping up my neck. _Pearl was talking about me? I wonder what she said..._ "Amethyst." she continued, gesturing to the purple gem on her chest as she stuffed another handful of chips into her mouth. I waved with a smile. The taller one stared at me for a few silent moments before smiling.

"Garnet." she said, her shades twinkling under the sun. She held out her hand to me, and I noticed the red gem there. "It's nice to meet you, Demi." she said with a British accent.

"Like wise," I responded, a little cautious of her gem as I shook her hand. Her handshake was firm but not overwhelmingly so. "You two must be the other Crystal Gems?"

"Yes, I assume Steven has already spoken to you about that then," Garnet said monotonously. I shook my head before responding.

"No, Pearl did actually," I explained. The thought of Pearl sent my eyes scanning over the Beach front for the tall graceful woman.

"I see." was all Garnet said, and I could've sworn that I saw a small smile on her face, but before I could really notice it, it was gone.

"I'm going to go swim, guys!" Steven motioned before pulling his shirt off of his head. A pink shimmer on his stomach caught my eye.

"Steven! You're a gem!?" I asked as my eyes widened. Steven smiled toothily as he looked down at the pink gem.

"My mom was a gem- a Rose Quartz." He explained. "My dad is human," he concluded pointing over to a man lounging on a small reclined chair not too far from us. I noted his almost painfully apparent tan line and his long mullet. He waved at us and I returned it with a smile.  
After Steven had gone for a swim, I had been left alone with the two gems.

"Pearl's in the house," Garnet commented in a monotonous voice as she hooked a thumb over her shoulder. I sighed in relief before thanking her. She could probably tell I was getting a little nervous being around people I didn't know. That said, I barely know Pearl, but that was beside the point. I began the short trek to the house propped up on the side of a large temple, my eyes staring intently at the ground in thought. _What could I talk to her about? Maybe I should ask her more about herself...or-_

"Oomph!" I bumped straight into someone. I stumbled backward just as they grabbed a hold of me- keeping be from tumbling onto the sand.

"I got you." came a smooth, light voice. I opened my previously closed eyes and realized I was staring into wide light blues.

"Pearl..." I whispered before taking in our current position. It was almost as if she had dipped me while we were dancing- rather then keeping me from falling. My face flushed and noticed the teal that crept up her pale neck as well.

"Are you okay, Demi," she asked as she pulled me up to a slightly more dignified standing position, but I couldn't help but notice her hands still placed firmly on my hips as she stared at me attentively. I noticed that she was wearing a light blue dress that complimented her eyes nicely.

"I'm okay- thanks to you." I smiled gesturing to her hands. She followed my line of sight, but still didn't withdraw them- she seemed to be deep in thought. A small silence settled over us- not awkward, but not necessarily content either. "We need to stop _"_ _bumping"_ into each other like this..." I jested. She seemed slightly surprised at my cheesy joke and she retracted her hands to cover up a quiet snicker before shaking her head.

"Did you need something, Demi," she asked gesturing to the house behind her. I waved my hands dismissively.

"Nah, I was just coming to find you," I told her with a small smile.

"Oh?" Pearl seemed surprised by this. She coughed lightly. "Well, is there anything I can help you with?" She inquired, intertwining her fingers in front of her. My mouth opened and closed thoughtlessly.

"Umm...well," I rubbed the back of my neck. "Not necessarily-"

"Well then, perhaps, you would like to just...'talk'?" she suggested- much to my own surprise. The teal blush on her cheeks had become more apparent and her eyes didn't quite meet mine.

"Yeah! Sure!" I replied, maybe a little to eagerly. "I mean-uh- that would be nice," I recovered- or at least tried.

"Well, that's pleasant to hear," Pearl smiled and we began to walk towards the shore line. We walked alongside each other and just talked. About herself. About gems. About where she came from. We had walked a good ways down the shore and were on our way back towards the party. I loved how animatedly Pearl talked about the history of Gems.

We sat down a couple meters away from the rest of the party. Just out of ear-shot from the others. The water lapped at our toes as we continued to talk.

"Wow." was all I could say. She arched and inquisitive brow at me.

"What?"

"Everything." I stated. "Gems. _Homeworld_. The Rebellion. _You._ It's all just so...amazing."

"I'm glad you think that. Humans don't usually like the idea of things they don't know or understand," she said before looking at me, an apologetic look on her face. "No offense, of course."

"None taken." I replied with a bemused smile. "Do you always group humans together? Like that?" I asked, keeping a friendly smile as to not seem malign in any way. She seemed taken back by this question.

"No. Well, yes but-"

"So..." I challenged. "What if I said that all Gems just want to take over planets and kill the living creatures on the said planets?"

"I understand the analogical argument that you're creating but the Crystal Gems are a perfect example that not all Gems are like that."

"Today's philosophers and scientists are all perfect examples that humans aren't exactly as you think either. A plethora of humans DO like the idea of exploring the unknown. There are groups- organizations who are solely focused on the expansion of human knowledge for science and technology." I smiled a-mater-of-factually. "Maybe our knowledge is primitive to Gems, especially one as smart as you," I noticed the blush that had began to grace Pearl's features. "But need I remind you that we are a relatively new species. Humans as we know it are only 200 millenia old, and civilization is only about 5 millenia old-"

"6 actually," Pearl corrected quietly. I laughed lightheartedly.

"6. Thank you."

"Yes, but in my experience," she paused again grappling to find a way to explain herself that wouldn't offend me- which I was grateful for. "I've found that humans are rather conservative in nature." she told me. "They're not open to new ideas..." She paused, frowning in thought. "What is it that humans say? That... _curiosity killed the cat_?" I laughed at the use of the old metaphor. "Humans still say that, I believe?"

"We do." I confirmed. "It's true that humans did live in their own ignorance fueled by fear, which- by what you've told me about yourself- is around the time that you arrived here on Earth." I paused, realizing that Pearl was hanging on every word. "But where human beings in the 21st century are concerned, the only thing a healthy curiosity can kill is ignorance." I told her. Pearl hummed in response. "One thing you can accurately say about the human race is that we don't like being wrong." I smiled.

"I see." Pearl whispered and it seemed as though she was deep in thought. Just as I was about to speak up, Garnet walked up to us.

"Pearl." she addressed, knocking the slim woman next to me out of her thoughts. "The party has ended. We're about to clean." she informed. Pearl and I looked at each other in surprise and looked back towards the empty space that party once had been. _Did we talk the entire time?_

"Oh! Well," Pearl rose from the ground gracefully. She looked down at me and offered me her slender hand, helping me onto my feet.

"Thanks," I mumbled. We stared at each other for a short period of time.

"I wanted to thank you for our talk, Demi," she said shyly, rubbing her arm lightly before straightening herself, as if suddenly gaining composure. "It seems I had underestimated your intelligence upon our initial meeting."

I blushed at this- remembering my thoughtlessness during out first encounter. Before I could recover, she spoke again. "I guess I should be going." she told me as she began to dust the sand off of her legs and bottom.

"I could help clean up," I offered. I didn't quite want to leave yet.

"That would be helpful." she smiled warmly. Just as were about to walk over to the large mess left by the party, Garnet called out to me.

"Demi, I would like to speak to you,"

I stood stiffly as she addressed me before walking over to the largely intimidating gem.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"I heard the conversation you had with Pearl."

I felt my body tense up at this. Pearl was open to me voicing my disagreements- which I was immensely grateful for, but who knew how Garnet would respond. I let out a small, nervous laugh.

"Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?" I accused with smile. She shrugged a small grin of her own- effectively relaxing me.

"Eh. I have good hearing."

I let out a small laugh and shook my head.

"I think you're good for Pearl." she said without any elaboration. I cocked my head to the side.

"What do you mean?"

"Even though she is extremely dedicated to protecting your planet, Pearl has always had a pessimistic view of the Earth and its inhabitants." she explained. "You're the first person to challenge that. You may also be the first person to have actively change her views since Rose Quartz."

 _Rose Quartz... She was the leader of the rebellion, Steven's mother who had given up her physical form in order to create the small bundle of joy and kindness..._ You had cried when she told you about that part. Pearl also had tears in her eyes and after she shook away her own she had wiped yours. You blushed remembering this moment.. _.Pearl had also told me the Rose was the reason she was even on Earth in the first place..._

"I see." was all I could say to Garnet in response. I looked over at Pearl's lithe form as she pointedly handed Amethyst, who had been lounging, a garbage bag. Pearl had stumbled over the parts of her history lesson that included Rose Quartz. It was obvious that Rose had meant the world to her, but I could tell there was something more. What was it, exactly? Heck, if I knew.  
My train of thought was cut off when Pearl looked up and saw me standing with Garnet and looking at her- her blue orbs widened slightly in surprise. I felt a warmth in my chest as she smiled softly and waved at us. I returned the gesture and watched as she continued to clean.

"I've never seen Pearl act like this either...especially not with a human," Garnet continued. I shot her a confused glance, silently asking her to elaborate. "Pearl has never had many human friends and the few she has given her time to, she always made sure to keep them at a distance."

"At a distance?" I echoed. Garnet hummed her response.

"I could never imagine her taking a long walk with any of them, nor would she have so openly discussed her past and engage in a discussion where she was genuinely interested in their thoughts." The tall gem paused and even though I couldn't see her eyes through her shades, I could tell she was looking at me. "You're different from them, Demi." she paused taking a second to look up at the lithe gem who was now helping Steven fold the portable tables. I smiled when Pearl bent down to give Steven a hug.

" _Different.._." I whispered under my breath, rolling the word around my tongue. _What did she mean?  
_  
"It's not going to be easy..." I heard Garnet say as she placed her hand on my shoulder. I turned around and looked up at her inquisitively.

"What do you-"

"I know that look." she said with a smile. "I know how you feel about her. There are many different paths your future together can take and none of them are easy. You'll have to give her time." she said in a stern voice. I was utterly confused. Was I that transparent? Garnet used her free hand to lower her shades revealing 3 eyes. One blue, one red, and one purple. All three stared at me intensely. "But trust me." she said. "If the futures I'm seeing are any indication, it'll all be worth it," she winked at me before pushing her shades back up the bridge of her nose. I swallowed hard before looking back at Pearl who had seemingly finished cleaning and was now looking up at the setting sun- a content smile on her face.

"It isn't my place to tell you about Pearl without her knowledge. She's my best friend... I only want what's best for her." The caring emotion that was in her voice was replaced by a more stern, almost threatening voice. "Don't make me regret my choice."

"I won't," I found myself saying without a second thought. I grinned up at the dark gem. "She's lucky to have someone like you in her corner." She smiled and gave me a thumbs up. I returned the smile with a larger one and jogged over to Pearl.

"The sunset really is beautiful." Pearl said in a soft voice as I sat down next to her.

"Yeah. It is." I noticed how the pinks and orange of the sky reflected off of her pearl beautifully. A small smile made its way onto my face as I turned by gaze toward the crashing waves.

"Thank you again for today," she whispered softly. I looked over to her and noticed the blush spread across her cheeks when she scooted closer to me.

"Even though I argued with you?" I smiled playfully, nudging her softly. I found my cheeks heating up ever so slightly as she placed her slender hand on my thigh as a sweet laugh left her lips.

"For listening to me. _About_ me." she corrected. "And we didn't argue," she smiled, letting out a small laugh. I let out a giggle of my own and turned to look at the graceful gem next to me. My brown orbs met her sky blues and I found myself staring. We held each other's gaze before I quickly turned my attention back to the quickly setting sun once again.

"Sorry," I mumbled and I wasn't quite sure if she had heard me. A few comfortable moments of silence passed and I noticed Pearl had somehow inched even closer to me. I could feel my heart beating in my chest as I slid my hand closer to where I had thought hers was. _Should I? Is this what Garnet was talking about? What exactly did she mean about giving her more time?..._ I started thinking about how easily Garnet could see through me whenPearl's soft sigh brought me out of my thoughts and back to the plan at hand _. Would it be too much if I did? To suggestive?..._ The way Garnet had described Pearl's past made me a little wary of scaring her off. _Maybe I shouldn't..._

I jumped slightly when I felt a sudden weight on my shoulder. I looked to my left and found myself looking at the smooth reflective surface of Pearl's gem. I couldn't see her cheeks because of the way she was positioned on my shoulder, but I could definitely feel their heat on my bare shoulder. I looked around as if wanting someone to see what was happening. I caught Garnet watching us, a smile formed on her usually impassive face. I once again thought about whether or not I should grab her hand when- as if reading my thoughts- Garnet simply nodded. I took a deep breath and bit the bullet- placing my hand over Pearl's.

I kept my eyes looking forward praying that I didn't push the boundary. My eyes widened in surprise when I felt her turn over her hand and intertwine our fingers. I swallowed hard at the warm fluttering feeling in my chest when she did this. I couldn't believe this was happening. Friends lay their heads on each other when they're tired, but when you add intertwined fingers AND a beautiful ocean sunset, it was completely different. And here this beautiful and graceful creature was doing both. I tried- and failed- to keep the shit-eating grin off my face. I looked back down at Pearl before resting my chin on the crown of her head. Even thought I didn't know what obstacles Garnet was talking about, I knew that Pearl was worth it. I couldn't explain why even if I tried, but I knew she was.

 **The next chapter is going to be pretty fluffy**

 **...and angsty. XD**

 **SO Stay tuned on DA~**

 **demiflower14**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter took me FOREVER to write!**

 **I had it planned out then my train of thought**

 **turned into a roller coaster and 8,000 words happened instead**

 **of the usual 2500-3000.**

 **Thanks for the immense support and**

 **RRC and ENJOY**

 **Chapter 3: Something New Something Old**

I was curled on the one piece of furniture (other than my bed) that I brought with me as I watched G.A.L.S 2. You could argue that I was too old to watch the movie but it was a classic and no one could tell me otherwise. I was in the middle at laughing at a joke that Hard-hat gal had made when I heard someone knock on my door. I expected it to be Jamie- the mailman- just notifying me that he delivered my mail. Then I heard the knock again. Frowning, I looked at my sweats and tank top disapprovingly but pulled myself to the door anyway. When I opened the door, I was surprised to see Garnet and Steven.

"Hey, guys," I greeted with a smile. "What's up?"

"Hi, Demi!" He smiled and Garnet simply nodded towards me. "Well, we were wondering if you wanna come and hang out at the house?" Steven told me, his large eyes shining brightly.

"Pearl's back at the house." Garnet informed with a small smile. I was about to question her when she continued. "You were about to ask."

I nodded slowly-my cheeks beginning to burn slightly- remembering that she had some type of future vision.

"Right..." I scratched my cheek before looking at my clothes. "Do you two wanna come in? I have to get dressed." stepping to the side I welcomed them with a sweeping motion. "Sorry," I said. "I only have one chair." I laughed nervously rubbing the back of my neck.

"That's okay, Demi. Garnet prefers standing anywaA~AY!" Steven gasped, his eyes growing widely. "You're watching G.A.L.S 2!" he exclaimed running over to my TV, his palms flat against the screen. "And this is the best part- when they find out that Triangle Gal has a secret identity!"

"Yeah! This is my favorite one of the series! I'm surprised you know about it," I commented walking over to him.

"Of COURSE, I know about them! I only have Karen though...I have all the G.U.Y.S!"

"Nice! I think I have all the G.A.L.S if you want them, Steven." I offered. The young Crystal Gem ran up to me, his eyes taking on a star-like pupils once more. _Must be a Gem thing..._ I thought. He grabbed my arms tightly.

"Really?" he whispered almost awestruck. I smiled down at him.

"Yeah, it's no problem! Just let me get dressed and I'll bring them out." I told him, ruffling his curly hair causing him to let out a happy laugh before running back to the T.V. Just as I turned to leave, Garnet placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her curiously, becoming slightly nervous when she didn't say anything right away.

"The blue one." was all she said, ending the sentence with a curt nod. I nodded slowly, not really understanding exactly what she meant, and ducked into my room.

Looking around, I realized I hadn't fully finished unpacking yet. Sighing, I dumped out the closest box to me. I worried about what I should have wore, just like I did before the Beach Party, but Steven made this seem casual, so I grabbed my most comfortable pair of jeans and shrugged on a clean tank top before I went to grab the door knob. Just as I began to turn it, I remembered the box of G.A.L.S for Steven. Dashing over to my closet, I grabbed them and then headed out to living room where Steven and Garnet were still waiting for me.

"Hey, guys! Sorry if I took long."

"It was no problem." Garnet replied to me as she leaned off of my counter to her full height.

"Are those the G.A.L.S?" Steven exclaimed loudly running over and politely grabbing the box from my hands- his eyes twinkling. "They're amaziiiing~" he said before looking at me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you thank you!"

"It's no big deal." I assured him. "They've been in that box forever."

"Steven," Garnet said in a low voice, making me arch a curious brow as Steven's mouth formed and "O" shape.

"Oh yeah! Grab a jacket!" He told me with a wide smile.

"A jacket?" I echoed. Steven simply nodded explaining that Garnet said I might get upset if she kept directing me with her future vision. I went to point out that she still was, just through him, but decided against it when he began to admire the figures I gave him. I looked at Garnet who watched me patiently. Sighing, I walked over to the box that had my jackets and grabbed out my two favorites. I grabbed them and turned to Steven and Garnet. "Should I wear the black tank top or the..." I paused, playfully rolling my eyes and took a deep breath. Letting out a small grunt, I continued anyway. "...or my _blue_ one..." I finished shaking my head, I shrugged on the light blue hoodie (the same light blue of Pearl's eyes), with a smile. Garnet's future vision would take some getting use to.

"We should get going you two- before Amethyst and Pearl begin to worry."

"Right!"

Steven walked ahead of Garnet and me as we began to ascend the steps to Steven's house. I tugged the jacket closer to my body when a cool ocean breeze whipped around me. Walking into the house, I spotted Pearl and Amethyst chatting in the kitchen.

"Yo, whassup, D!" the purple gem shouted out as she jumped down from the counter.

"Hey!" I greeted before directing my attention to the taller of the two. "Hi, Pearl." I gave a short wave, I noticed a small smile making its way onto her face. Pearl seemed pleasantly surprised by my appearance as she made her way towards me.

"Evening, Demi. H-how are you?" she asked, her hand gripping her arm limply before letting it fall to rest be her side. My smile widened at her low-key awkwardness.

"I'm good, you?"

"I'm very well. I...well I didn't know you were coming..." she said. "Not that I mind, of course!" she quickly recovered, coughing lightly into her clenched fist. "I'm actually glad you're here." She concluded as she straightened her posture, once again seeming as if she had suddenly found her composure. The sudden change of body language didn't go unnoticed by the other people in the room and Amethyst could be heard stifling a laugh.

"Are you two done yet?" Amethyst teased sticking her tongue out at us. I tried to hide my amused smile when I noticed the aqua tinted blush sprinkling its way across her features.

"W-What do you-"

Pearl was cut off by a large noise outside. We all looked at each other and almost instinctively, we all ran outside and down the steps to find out the source of the sound. The tides were coming up higher than usual, I had noted. To the point that the were lapping at our ankles. I gulped back an almost fearful gasp- there was something not right about the feeling in the air. It was almost as if there was an odd abundance of energy in this area that I couldn't quite place.

"Garnet?" I heard Pearl address the taller gem, but she simply held up her hand as if signaling the former to wait. I began to look around and almost jumped out of my shoes when I heard a large gurgling roar split through the night air. My eyes were wide with fear and my entire body tensed as I watched a drooping figure claw its way out of the high tides.

"What the hell is that!" I exclaimed before watching as Garnet's two hands were suddenly encased by two twin gauntlets, Amethyst quickly pulled out what seemed to be a split-tailed whip, and I watched as a white handle protruded from Pearl's glowing gem, which I realized was a long, light blue bladed spear. They all assumed fighting positions just as the monster sent water projectiles out towards us. Everyone easily reflected them but I stumbled out of the way and ended up landing on my rear.

"DEMI!" I heard Pearl yell, her eyes wide with worry, but just as she was about to make her way towards me, the projectiles morphed into smaller versions of the original monster. A couple of them launched themselves at me, and I was surprised when Steven reacted with lightning fast speed, the creatures dissipating the moment they hit his pink shield. "Steven! Hurry and get her into the house! Keep her safe!" Pearl instructed loudly and I could hear her spear slicing through the air with practiced ease as Steven ushered me hurriedly to safety.

"Stay in here, Demi." Steven told me and I heard a sternness in his voice I didn't even think was possible for the young boy. "Don't worry, Lion will protect you." and with that, he was out the door with a large leap towards the rest of the Crystal Gems. I ran to the window and looked out at Steven as he immersed himself in the battle between the Gems and the water beasts. I furrowed my brow at his last words.

"Lion?" Just as the word left my lips a large pink mass blinded my view of my friends. I stumbled back and was met face to face with a large pink... _lion._ "Hey...Lion," I whispered, my jaw tightening. I reached out timidly to pet his side, and he immediately began purring. "Good kitty..." I smiled, but it quickly fell as the noises of distress became more apparent outside. I gently nudged Lion aside and ran to where the fight was taking place. The gems were being swarmed by the monsters and I could tell they were becoming a little overwhelmed.

"UGH! Garnet, they keep comin' back!" Amethyst exclaimed, watching as a creature she had just split molded itself back together.

"There's a mother!" Garnet told her punching one of the monsters away from her. "There!" She pointed out further into the water. It seemed like no matter how hard they tried, the "Mother" was untouchable. Constantly sending out little minions to attack the Gems, making it almost impossible to get to her, and when they did send a weapon her way she would just suck the water from the ocean and rebuild herself. She seemed indestructible.

I observed the monster more and realized that there was a large gem in the middle of its body. Pearl had said that the gem was the center of their being. This was obviously a gem monster, so I just had to...

I looked down at my hands, knowing what they were capable of. But there were so many monsters and the mother seemed ridiculously strong. There was stoned I had that increased my control over my abilities as well as the force and power behind them. I had a necklace, one with four different types of the enhancement stones and I used it to help enhance and train my abilities. _Crap I left it at home..._ Then something hit me. I rummaged through my pocket and VOILA! There it was. There as no reason for me to consciously bring it but the last time I used I was wearing this jacket. _My blue jacket, Garnet knew..._

I draped the necklace around my neck and took a deep breath before running outside. Grunts could be heard mixing with the roars of the small gem monsters as I ran up to the group of fighters. It really did look like a battlefield what with the exploding yellow and orange in the sky due to the setting sun. The vibrant colors reflected off of the water creatures bouncing blinding rays of orange, yellow, and purple everywhere. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Pearl getting close to being completely overwhelmed by the creatures. I took a deep breath and honed in on the enhancement capabilities of my necklace and flicked my wrist sending the monsters flying off of her. Pearl let out an audible gasp and looked at me with shocked and confused eyes.

I hurriedly roamed the sand and spotted Steven fending off the monsters with nothing but his shield. With a sweeping motion, I sent the beasts flying back into the ocean. Steven looked at me with large eyes as he ran over towards Pearl. My heart began to beat faster in my chest when I saw the creatures making their way towards me. Taking a deep, rooting breath I felt my pupils dilate. Suddenly, my entire body was surrounded by a quickly rotating sphere of air that repelled all the monsters that came close to me. I guided my attention towards the tall creature rising high above the water- it's gem twinkling in the descending sun. I centered my energy and created an air spout to lift myself towards the towering monster- not a water spout for fear of the Gem taking control of it with its own hydrokinetic abilities. I still didn't have an amazing amount of control over my aerokinesis so I was relatively unstable in the air. When I realized that a well-placed hit from a water projectile could send me spiraling into the ground I began to panic, that is until I saw the projectiles being destroyed.

"Keep going! We've got you covered!" Garnet's steady voice cut through the whipping wind and water around me. I nodded to myself and realized that I was directly in front of the monster. It seemed as if its only defense were the projectiles and the others were taking care of that. I stuck my hand out straight in front of me trying to use my geokinetic ability to sense its gem and lock on to it. I tugged and pulled and I could feel myself weakening by the second. I had never used my powers to this extent, and my body was beginning to feel the physical effects of it. But I was so close, I could feel it. The way the gem shifted and twisted in my telekinetic grasp, I couldn't let myself lose it. Taking a deep breath, I realized that I wouldn't be able to simply pull it out.

Gathering whatever energy I had left. I created a powerful water and air spout beneath me and quickly formed a large vortex that I shot through the monster as a way to separate its gem from the rest of its body, and in the quick seconds it takes for the water beast to reattach itself, I sent myself spiraling through the weak point I had created, my geokinesis latching onto the monster's gem and pulling it through with me. I felt my body spiraling towards the water as I watched the Gem monster "poof" into nothing. I smiled at my accomplishments, the edges of my vision fading at the edges. I closed my eyes just before I hit the cold water.

When I opened them again, I realized I was being carried hurriedly towards the shore, looking at my savior, I caught a glimpse of alabaster skin before my conscious faded away again. My eyes weren't open the second time I came around, but I could feel the sand on my back and someone put their head against my chest.

"Garnet! Is she alright?! She's breathing, but-but she's still not waking up!" I could hear Pearl exclaim right above me- raw emotion evident in her voice. She was met by silence and I felt her hand grasp mine tightly. "Garnet!"

"She'll be okay, Pearl." came Garnet's terse response.

"Steven, I told you to keep her safe!" Pearl scolded rather harshly. I heard the boy stutter in return.

"I-I'm sorry-"

"She's just a _human,_ Steven!"

"Hey! Lay off, Pearl. She's not _'just a human'._ Demisaved us!" Amethyst yelled back, coming to Steven's aid and mine as well.

"But-"

"Amethyst is right, Pearl. Without Demi, we would have been over-powered by the Water Bear." I heard Garnet say, her voice slightly strained. "She'll wake up. She's only debilitated by the excessive use of her abilities. Just let her rest." The pragmatic gem instructed firmly, yet gently all the same. I heard Pearl sniff and I wondered if she was crying. I wanted to open my eyes, to open my mouth. I wanted to comfort Pearl, but reality was slipping out of my grasp again. I could feel myself be picked up effortlessly and carried away, but I dropped out of consciousness before I could even think about where she was taking me.

The second time I opened my eyes I realized I was on something soft, warmth engulfing my body. A couch? A bed? A lap? My mind was too hazy to figure that out just yet. I could feel long willowy arms wrapped protectively around me and I could feel a slow hum resonating through a modest chest. I listened to the voice and realized it was Pearl. My heart swelled at the thought of having the demure gem holding me at such an intimate proximity. Her body was so warm, her embrace so inviting, and I found myself burrowing deeper into her comforting arms. I took a deep breath, my nostrils filling with her scent- one of lemongrass and the ocean- it was soothing.

"You're awake," I heard her whisper. I took note on how calm she was. "I-I was..." she never finished her sentence, but rather held me even closer. By now, I had realized that I was in my room- in my own bed. I wondered briefly if she carried me all the way home. I could feel she wanted to talk about something, I figured it had to do with what happened and I tensed at the thought of the previous...night?

"How long was I-"

"Two days..." She replied quickly- an odd tone laced through her words and I could feel her tense against me. "Garnet assured me you would wake up..." I notice her voice begin to trail off. "Why would you do something so _impetuous_?" she rasped out. I looked up quickly and caught her red-rimmed baby blues looking down at me tiredly.

"You guys were being overwhelmed-"

"You could've been hurt or worse, Demi!" I noticed how her voice raised an octave as well as its volume. I could tell how upset she still obviously was and I knew it stemmed from her being worried about me. So rather than arguing back, I simply took a deep breath and smiled unarmingly.

"I saw a way I could've helped, so I did." I shrugged. "I saw the _opportunity_ to help, so I did."

"Yes, well..." Pearl averted her eyes with a disgruntled huff. "I saw some tea in the kitchen. I'll go prepare some." The moment she got up, I missed her warmth. She walked gracefully out of my room leaving me to my thoughts.

 _I was out for two days? That's insane. But then again, I've never used my powers to that extent. Pearl seemed really worried, and more than upset with me._

I shook myself from my thoughts when I heard the clinking of items coming from my kitchen and decided to get up. My legs felt a little wobbly and I had to lean against the wall in order to safely walk into the kitchen. When my living room was in view, I realized all of my boxes were gone. Come to think about it, I didn't notice any boxes in my room either. _She must've unpacked my things for me- maybe a nervous habit of hers._ I managed to make my way all the way to the small island where Pearl was- almost. I had thought I was in the clear, but the moment I stepped without any trepidation, my knees buckled from under me.

"Aaahg-" I opened my closed eyes and realized I was being held flush against a tall, slender body. "Pearl?" I asked when she didn't release me right away.

"Demi! What are you doing! You're going to exacerbate your condition!" she clamored, and I felt my breath hitch in my throat- my brown orbs falling into light blue, worried depths.

"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered out. "We really need to get out of the habit of this," I jested lightly, trying to lighten the mood. Pearl sighed, pulling up into a standing, _stable_ position. She brought slender fingers to lightly graze her forehead right beneath her gem before pinching the bridge of her nose tiredly. She took a deep breath and continued to prepare our tea. "Pearl...are you okay?" she seemed so phlegmatic, and as far as I could see, that was pretty out of character. "You're acting different," I cringed at the word and waited for her response.

"Garnet said that I should make sure to be tranquil when you awoke- to keep myself calm as to not "freak you out" as Amethyst had put it." She had her back turned to me and I noticed the steady tremor in her voice. "But, I was just-" her shoulders hiked up and I could hear a sob escape her lips. I hurried over to her on my unsteady legs and wrapped my arms around her torso, pressing my cheek against her back.

"Pearl, it's okay. _I'm_ okay now," The gem turned in my embrace and through her arms around my shoulders- her slender frame shaking with sobs.

"I was so scared, Demi!" she wailed into my shoulder. I held her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "You're human! You're so fragile," she whispered the last part almost inaudibly as she sniffed and pulled away from me. "I'm sorry," she sniffed "This is exactly what Garnet told me not to do..." she let out a small huff, before taking a long, deep breath. Just as she was about to turn around and continue making tea, I reached and grabbed her hand. Her eyes still shimmered from unshed tears, a blush deepening across the pale canvas of her face.

"Do you want to go for a walk," I asked with a small smile. Pearl seemed a little reluctant- possibly at the realization that she wouldn't be able to turn around and busy herself with making tea if things got uncomfortable. "We don't have to talk if you don't want to. Let's just...walk," I offered and Pearl worried at her bottom lip.

"But, you're still weak from-"

"I'm fine," I assured her. "Plus, if I do faint and fall or something, you'll catch me right?" I arched a teasing brow, tugging softly at her hand. After a few seconds, a small smile made its way onto the gems face and she agreed.

"Okay. But just a short one. It's cold outside, I don't want you to get sick too."

"Yes, Ma'am!" I mock saluted with a laugh- one that Pearl returned, but it faded away at an almost disheartening speed. But that was alright. "Okay, let's go!" I said excitedly because I had a plan. I pulled her over towards the door after I hurriedly pulled on my shoes. I threw open the exit, but my movements were haulted when I felt Pearl's hand on my wrist.

"Your jacket," she says sheepishly handing the blue hoodie to me. I smiled at her concern and shrugged it on.

"Thank you," I say softly. "Wait, what about you?"

"Oh! Umm, well-" she scratched at a blue cheek softly. "gems don't get cold."

"Are you sure? I have a couple of sweaters and jackets you might like?" I offered, but she insisted she was okay. I nodded and we were out the door without any difficulties. That is until Pearl noticed that I was leading her towards the Boardwalk- towards the beach.

"Wait, Demi." she grabbed my arm softly, her eyes showing a world of worry. "I don't think you should...we don't know if you're fully covered. There could be more Water Bears out there and I don't think we should risk it." she rushed out, a frown forming on her face. My mouth twisted to the side in thought.

"You have a point, but I really wanna show you something." I pleaded tugging her cautious frame towards the shoreline. She sighed but allowed me to pull her along- I looked at her over my shoulder and realized her eyes were trained on the ocean. As we continued down the beach, opposite of Steven's house and the temple, I noticed she began to relax the longer we walked without any incident. I smiled realizing she was holding onto my hand almost protectively.

"Looks like we missed the sunset," Pearl commented in a small voice, breaking our comfortable silence. I looked towards the darkened blue sky. I smiled, it would be easier to present my surprise like this.

"You really enjoy the sunsets don't you?" Her face lit up with a smile.

"I _do_! They're probably one of the most beautiful happenings on this planet." she replied. "Sometimes, I feel as though humans often disregard their beauty." she added. A small smile played on my lips.

"Well, then you're going to love my surprise." I grinned up at the confused gem and hurriedly ushered her towards a large, cliff. I stopped us dead smack in front of it and smiled, my hands on my hips. Pearl looked towards the cliff and looked at me.

"Umm...This is your surprise? A cliff?" she asked, her face twisting with confusion. "Oh no. You must've damaged part of your paracingulate sulcus," she said as she brought a hand to cover a gasp. "You don't know the difference from reality and imagination. I knew we shouldn't have-"

I cut her off with a laugh, making her arch a brow. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I managed to finally catch my breath.

"There's nothing wrong with my para- _thing."_ I laughed again. "This is it!" I told her as if it was obvious. I could see Pearl steadily becoming more worried about my mental condition, so I decided to finally relieve her. I walked closer to the cliff and gently placed my hand on it. Almost immediately the portal that was invisible to Pearl, now shown brightly enough to make her cover her eyes before staring at it, her jaw dropping ever so slightly- oranges, pinks, and yellows swirling over her body.

"I don't- what is this? It _looks_ like some type of..."

"It's a portal." I smiled brightly and motioned for her to step closer. She did so- albeit timidly- and I placed my hand over hers and gently ran our hands through the large tumbling mass of energy.

"It's warm." Pearl commented, looking intently at the colors- examining it almost. Or at least examining it the best she can without entering it.

"Okay let me explain." I began, watching as Pearl began to run both of her hands through it experimentally "Other than my elemental abilities I can see these portals. After I moved here, I took a look around and found that there's a lot of them."

"This is impossible. I've been on this beach for the past couple of millenias. We've _never_ encountered these."

"Well as far as I can tell, only I can see them until they're activated...by me."

Pearl cocked her head as she looked at me. I could see questions in her eyes and she was quiet as if trying to find one she wanted to ask.

"You said they're portals? Where do they lead?"

"Well, that's part of the surprise." I grinned knowingly, as I reached my hand out to her. "Shall we?" Pearl eyed me nervously, but eventually nodded- her hand slipping into mine with ease. With a deep and excited breath, I led us through the portal.

"You can open your eyes now," I chuckled, nudging the gem softly. She opened her previously closed eyes- one and then the other. She gasped at the site laid out before her. Her blue eyes shining brightly in awe as she brought a hand up to hide a loud gasp.

"Oh...my...stars."

The portal settled us on a small island of green, thriving land. I looked behind us and it seemed as though we emerged from a beautifully towering, violet weeping willow. It's limbs twisting high into the sky- the reason I brought Pearl in the first place. The sky held a surreal image. Tumultuous streaks of multicolored light twisted throughout the orange canvas- winding through each other, where sometimes vibrant purples and greens clustered against clouds, while pinks and blues shot down into the water- making it seemingly glowing with radiant color- looking almost as if the thick rays were tangible.

Where there weren't vibrant, sharp colors there were other beautiful things- thousands of brightly coruscating stars scattered across the canopy of a magical sky. Small bands of dimly lit rings and spirals signaling far off galaxies almost impossibly noticeable against the orange-ness of the upper atmosphere. There was an extremely large and round orb in the sky, something I later identified as a moon. It was impossibly close, specifically because it didn't seem to affect the softly moving ocean. The sun sat at the edge of the horizon, peeking out just enough to give you a beautifully satisfying eternal sunset- never rising, never fully setting.

"You like it?" I asked, as if I didn't already know the answer. Pearl whipped her head around to look at me, shock still completely evident on her face.

"DEMI, this is _amazing!_ " she exclaimed loudly, returning her hungry gaze back to the sky. "Not to mention geologically impossible! Where on _earth_ is this? And how did we never see this before!?" she asked almost giddily. I smiled at her obvious joy before wagging my finger.

"Nah ah ah. There's one more thing to show you." I led the eager gem towards a bridge. It seemed to be made out of a gray stone, and I noticed how multicolored flowers grew from cracks all the way down its length. I couldn't tell, by just looking, where the bridge stopped- assuming it did of course. Vast amounts of water fell from unknown sources and fed into the glowing sea being pushed by a soft current beneath the bridge. I nudged a still awestruck Pearl closer to the railing.

"Look," I instructed pointing to the water's gently rippling surface. Pearl looked at me oddly before guiding her attention down. Her blue eyes almost popped out of her head at the sight- her jaw dropping lower than before.

"Is that?! How- this is impossible!...isn't it?" she stammered as she continued to gaze through the colorfully clear water. The moment you look into the water, you could see Earth- spinning slowly on its axis, even some of the empty space around it and the moon could be seen. Pearl looked up towards the sky, as if checking to see if it wasn't just a reflection- as if that made this any less impossible. The Earth was oddly small in the depths of the ocean beneath us- so small that we could see the entire thing with ease. I gathered some small flowers from the ground and began fiddling with them as Pearl inspected the fanciful view.

"H-how is this possible?" Pearl asked shaking her head, staring at the blue planet.

"My theory is that- _that..."_ I gestured to the vast pool. "- is a portal somewhere out in space and that if we swim deep enough we'll end up being pulled further down into Earth's gravitational pull and eventually end up spiraling towards it." I hypothesized casually. "But that's just my thoughts."

"Hmm," Pearl tapped her chin in thought. "It reminds me of the puddles in Amethysts room..." I cocked my head to the side at this. "I'll have to make sure to show you later..." she paused before looking at me. "This doesn't make any sense though- for Earth to have these interdimensional worlds and ways of traveling. For humans to have these abilities-"

"Not all humans. I'm special," I interrupted with a playful wink. Pearl continued her mini rant.

"Yes, but Earth is a mundane planet. There's little to no supernatural or extraterrestrial phenomenon and the little there is was brought by gems..." she seemed thoroughly flabbergasted by this, and I couldn't help but laugh. "What?" she asked, confused at my reaction.

"And you said that there's nothing I could experience that would be abnormal and a surprise to you." I smiled mockingly. Pearl's face flushed at my teasing, and I stifled another laugh. She seemed to be embarrassed if the blueness and fidgeting of her hands were any indications so I decided to change the subjects good-heartedly.

"I knew you would like it here." I said leaning against the railing and looking out at the ocean, watching the colors play and scintillate on its reflective surface. "As far as I can tell, from the times I've visited, it's always like this," I turned my head towards her as she stepped closer to me. "A sunset I mean."

"Frozen in time..." she whispered. I noticed how her alabaster skin was basked beautifully in a soft sheen of orange. I reached my hand out towards her, and she took it without question as I led us back to the willow tree. I sat us down at the water's edge and watched as Pearl stared intently at the sea in front of her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked, nudging her gently.

"I never understood that idiom," she commented nonchalantly, before breathing in deeply. "I obviously don't understand humans at all- or Earth for that matter." she finished with a hint of disdain in her sweet voice. "I've been here for the past 5,000 years, and-"

"And what?" I asked. "You were busy saving the Earth," I told her, deciding to protect her pride, even if she was the one attacking it. "These aren't just places you find," I gestured to the scene before us. "And elemental humans don't seem to be common. Heck, I may be the only one out there. Don't beat yourself up over something so paradoxical." I ended, placing my hand over hers. Pearl turned to face me.

"Yes, but I was hypocritical- ignorant even." she shook her head. "I said that humans weren't open to new things, and obvious neither am I. I never even thought to look beyond the initial mundane veil of your world..."

"Well, it's never too late to be curious. I read something once- that the future belonged to the curious. The people who are not afraid to try it, explore it, poke at it, question it, turn it inside out." I recited from memory. Pearl blinked her blue eyes contemplatively. "So go ahead, question it." I said my arm sweeping out to gesture the fanciful view before us. Her mouth twisted to the side as she looked at the frozen sunset.

"You said that it was always like this? That the sun never fully sets here?" She scooted even closer to me, our thighs pressed together.

"Yup," I nodded. "I realized that these places always remain unchanged when I visit them over and over." I elaborated causing Pearl to hum in thought.

"Well, what does that mean in terms of time?" she questioned. I didn't quite understand her question and I think my confusion was noticeable. "Does time even exist here? Can you be here for days, but only be gone from Earth a couple of minutes?"

"Ahh...well...I think it depends on what I need from it," I paused and observed Pearls confused features. Grappling for the words to explain what I meant, I continued. "For example, if I want to escape from an inevitable event, the time within the portal becomes "real time"- I stay here for a couple of days and I'm gone from Earth for a couple of days." I told her. "Other times, if I just want to relax without missing out on my life on Earth, it's similar to what you said- here for days, gone for seconds."

"I see. Yet, the world in the portal itself stays exactly the same?"

"Not all of them. Some have fluctuating weather, some have days and nights."

"So there's different places that the portals lead to? They don't all lead here?" She asked and I simply nodded. "Do the physical conditions of the world respond to you as well?"

"I'm not sure," I replied truthfully. Pearl seemed to be in thought again.

"How is it that you have such a connection to the Earth and these words & portals?" she asked thoughtfully. I shrugged again before twirling the little flower creation I had been fiddling with the entire time in my hand.

"May I?" she looked down at the piece in my hand, her blush suddenly reappearing on her features. She shuffled even closer and tipped her head towards me. I adjusted the intricate flower crown- grinning at the childish gesture.

"Th-thank you," Pearl murmured softly, bringing her slender fingers to touch it softly. Her reflective gem caught my attention, and I found myself running my finger over its smooth surface gently. Pearl gave an apparent shiver and I pulled back as if the gem had burnt me.

"I- I'm sorry!" I apologized quickly, my brown skin burning hotly. Pearl shot me a nervous smile.

"It's okay...you can touch it if you want..." she offered her cheeks a bright blue, one that could rival the vibrancy of the floating colors in the sky above us. She averted her eyes to the ground before they flickered to me almost anxiously. I nodded softly and very slowly brought my hand up to the gem. Its surface was smooth and cool to the touch. I could feel the energy and power that ran through it.

"Hmmm..." I sounded thoughtfully.

"What?" Pearl mumbled out nervously. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Your pearl is beautiful..." I whispered, making her blush stand out even more as it traveled down her slender neck. "I just expected it to be warm for some reason." I said pulling back to let out an odd giggle as I rubbed the back of my neck. "I don't know why. I guess since it's attached to you and since it's the source of your being and what not."

"Well, our bodies _are_ an illusion, therefore, gems don't give off natural body heat." she explained in an odd tone as she cleared her throat gently.

"But earlier, your body was definitely warm," I told her referring back to when I had first woke up. Pearl seemed surprised that I had brought it up, embarrassed almost.

"Oh! I- uh thought it may be more comfortable for you if you're weren't being held by a cold body..." she whispered incoherently. I nodded with a smile and leaned in to expect the shimmering gem again.

"It really is beautiful- perfect really." I complimented sincerely.

"Perfect?" Pearl echoed in disbelief, pulling away to look at me. "It's not a perfect pearl, and neither am I...I'm _defective..."_ she told me, her eyes falling to the ground beneath us. I shook my head not comprehending her.

"Defective? How?," I demanded, and it came out a little harsher than I intended. She proceeded to explain to me how pearls were made- to- serve gems whose only purpose was to be used to flaunt around and symbolize a gem's rank and wealth.

"We're nothing without our owners- without someone to give us orders and tell us what to do..."

"That's absolute bull!" I exclaimed, causing her to look at me in surprise- her eyes holding unshed tears. "Then it's good that you're defective- a blessing even-"

"But without her, I'm _petty_ and _dull_..." she whispered in an almost defeated voice. Then it hit me.

"Rose Quartz" I stated, understanding what their relationship truly was. "You were her pearl." It wasn't a question.

"Yes," Pearl sniffed, a wavering smile on her trembling lips. "She was wonderful, courageous, and so beautiful..." a sigh of longing left her lips and I couldn't help but feel guilty at the jealousy that began to bubble.

"You loved her." I said, once again a statement rather than a question. Pearl seemed thrown by this. She went to speak, but settled with a small nod. She loved Rose, but Rose chose Greg and they created Steven. This is what Garnet meant, I realized. Pearl had an unrequited love for Rose- a devotion even now- after years of being without her. I took Pearl's startled face in my hands before speaking.

"Don't _ever_ say that you're nothing _._ You fought against what Homeworld wanted you to be. You _fought_ against oppression, you fought in a _war_! You are anything but petty. You are _unique_." I paused, letting Pearl take in my words. I wiped away her stray tears before continuing. "You are your own gem. Your actions and thoughts are yours alone, and you realized that and you _fought_ for your right to be independent. Remember that." I smiled, my initial force subsiding. "You are _not_ petty and dull, Pearl. _You_ are wonderful, courageous and _beautiful_." I told her, the pad of my thumb unconsciously stroking her soft skin. I smiled how Pearl's face flushed two shades darker than I thought was possible. She now had her hands on my wrist, as if using me as an anchor as the words slowly sank in.

The tears had stopped fully by now and I noticed Pearl's eyes flicker down to my lips. I swallowed, my heart thundering in my chest. Garnet had said to give her time. That meant taking it slow right? But it was hard to do that when Pearl was currently leaning in towards me, her eyes focused on my lips intently. I decided to stay still, dropping my hands into my lap, and allowed Pearl to go at her own pace, but I nearly jumped when I felt her nose gently brush mine. I could feel her breath feathering across my lips, antagonizing close, but she didn't close the distant. We stayed like that, sharing the air between us when I finally spoke.

"May I...kiss you?" I whispered softly, waiting for the request to blow up in my face. I had decided, though, that it seemed like she wanted to- she initiated it, I just had to finish it. Pearl's wide, beautiful eyes finally flickered to mine as she let out an almost inaudible 'yes'. I brought my hand up to cup her cheek, closing my eyes as I brushed my lips gently against hers- smooth and soft. I could feel my heart threatening to burst out of my chest when Pearl's slender arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer. The kiss lasted what seemed like forever and it was filled with an alarming amount of emotion, but I pulled back when I tasted tears.

"Pearl?" I addressed her worriedly, scared that I pushed her out of her comfort zone even though it seemed like she was enjoying it. Pearl sniffed and quickly hid her face in my chest.

"I'm sorry. I _really_ want this." she whispered, her voice muffled by my jacket. "Every since we first bumped into each other, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I couldn't understand why...but now..." she trailed off. "But I can't- not yet, I just I-"

"You need time, and that's okay," I said and Pearl looked up at me, grateful that I understood. She sighed and hid her face in my chest again.

"It's just, with your connection to the earth and to nature...you remind me _so_ much of her. Even the times before I knew about your abilities, being around you felt like being around _her_. And... I don't want to...be with you just because of that. I need to know that I care about you because of who you are, not because of who you remind me of... I don't want to 'lead you on'." she whispered shakily. I hugged her skinny frame closer to me before speaking.

"You don't need to explain yourself to me." I sighed before resting my chin on the crown of her head, making sure not to mess up the flowers. "You're worth waiting for..." I concluded with a smile, even though I knew she couldn't see it.

"Thank you, Demi," She hugged me tighter and we stayed like that for what seemed like hours. Silently watching the beautiful sky and colorful sea as we enjoyed each others company- as I enjoyed holding her in my arms. It seemed like an eternity before I finally spoke up, saying that it may be better if we headed back home. I noted how reluctant Pearl seemed- the feeling of stilled time appealing to her- but she agreed.

When we stepped out of the portal and onto the sand of Beach City, my eyes immediately felt the absence of color as I stared at the dark blue sky of Earth. I wonder if Pearl felt it too. We began a quiet walk to my house hand in hand, and I noticed that time hadn't really passed since we left. We were both deep and thought, and before we even realized it, there I stood at my doorstep. I took a deep breath, neither of us wanting to say goodbye. It was almost an unspoken agreement that Pearl and I would have to hold off on being around each other, but since it wasn't spoken out loud, I had no idea how long that would be. After a few seconds of thought, I pulled Pearl against my body and kissed her tenderly. Pearl didn't seem thrown by this and wrapped her arms around my waist, kissing me back. I was the one to pull away first, a smile on my face as I saw a blush spread evenly across Pearl's flushed features. She touched her lips gently.

"Just a little something to hurry you back to me," I winked with a grin. Pearl nodded, an unsure smile spreading across her face. "I'll see you soon- hopefully."

"See you soon, Demi," Pearl smiled before turning gracefully on her heel. I watched her walk away until she was all the way out of site before closing my door. Realizing the air in my lungs had become stale, I exhaled. I hadn't even realized that I had been holding my breath.

I lied in my bed, staring up at the dark ceiling, thoughts and images of Pearl swirling in my head. I wondered how long I would have to wait. I wondered if she would ever come back at all. Then a sweet thought hit me. Before we had left the portal, Pearl had asked for my jacket even though she specifically said that gems didn't get cold. That thought warmed my heart. It seemed as if that simple request to keep my jacket while we were separated, foreshadowed that she really did like me. Thinking back to the events of the day, I wondered if this was easier of the hard paths Garnet spoke about and whether I should be grateful or not. Tiredness eventually began to evade my mind, and with the mental image of Pearl basking in the colorfully painted sunset in my mind's eyes, I fell into a restful sleep.

 **What were your guys thought on this chapter**

 **I took so long to write it that I don't exactly**

 **know the effect its giving the audience**

 **so your input would be great.**

 **Anyway, there's only a couple chapters left so**

 **Stay Tuned~**

 **demiflower14**


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